Wizzy's Question Time

[Gigabit]

Questions for Wizzy. I'll start.

Why vote Tory, Wizzy?

[wizzywick]

Why do I vote Tory?

Because it's my choice and we live in a democracy! But, mainly because I am influenced by geographical location, the fact that I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help and because I dislike many Labour policies. That said, it isn't so much Labour policies I dislike, moreso Corbyn policies because I think he's detached from reality, knows he's highly unlikely ever to be elected so can just promise the earth and not have to deliver.

In honesty I think the Tories and Labour combined would make a terrific Government as they both have good policies but also both have terrible ones. But it's all subjective since the ones I think are crap others may think are great, and vice versa.

Where I live is a wealthy, true blue Tory town. Always has been except for when the LibDems took it for 12 years from 1993 (and I voted Libdem in 1997). So because the town is served well by the Tory council, and because most are well off (don't blame folk for being well off, it isn't their fault), I don't really know any different so I just vote Tory because it suits me, my community and in my opinion the country.

[Rolluplostinspace]

Why do I vote Tory?

I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help

Unless of course you're extremely wealthy then the government will step in with tax payer money when you've screwed up to make sure you never have to face conseqquences.
Socialism for the wealthy capitalism for the rest of us?

[Gigabit]

Why do I vote Tory?

Because it's my choice and we live in a democracy! But, mainly because I am influenced by geographical location, the fact that I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help and because I dislike many Labour policies. That said, it isn't so much Labour policies I dislike, moreso Corbyn policies because I think he's detached from reality, knows he's highly unlikely ever to be elected so can just promise the earth and not have to deliver.

In honesty I think the Tories and Labour combined would make a terrific Government as they both have good policies but also both have terrible ones. But it's all subjective since the ones I think are crap others may think are great, and vice versa.

Where I live is a wealthy, true blue Tory town. Always has been except for when the LibDems took it for 12 years from 1993 (and I voted Libdem in 1997). So because the town is served well by the Tory council, and because most are well off (don't blame folk for being well off, it isn't their fault), I don't really know any different so I just vote Tory because it suits me, my community and in my opinion the country.

Absolutely it's your choice but that is a poor reason to do so, just because you can.

Can you explain how you think Corbyn is "detached from reality" and how he has "promised the Earth" please? I don't think fixing a broken railway system, or providing the youth of the country with a home (is this not part of the aspiration you've mentioned), or regulating the banks properly so they don't crash the economy and make the poorest pay for it, is promising the Earth. I think it's providing a society for all to flourish.

What Labour policies do you think prevent aspiration and what Tory ones aspire aspiration - can you point to some concrete examples? I'd say Labour introducing the Minimum Wage increased wealth and aspiration for all in society, especially the poorest.

Which Labour policies do you think are terrible and the same question for the Tories?

[Gigabit]

Why do I vote Tory?

I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help

Unless of course you're extremely wealthy then the government will step in with tax payer money when you've screwed up to make sure you never have to face conseqquences.
Socialism for the wealthy capitalism for the rest of us?

This is the crux of the situation and what I try to understand from Tories. They never seem - hopefully Wizzy can prove me wrong - to be able to explain the policies that the Tories have that actually are good, their response just seems to be "well remember what Labour did, hmmm!!!!".

[calitom]

Why do I vote Tory?

I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help

Unless of course you're extremely wealthy then the government will step in with tax payer money when you've screwed up to make sure you never have to face conseqquences.
Socialism for the wealthy capitalism for the rest of us?

yep we have run into that in the usa the past 30 yrs. but dont necc blame your tories exclusively.the other parties do the same damn thing--bailing out the superwealthy when they screw up.

bezos,buffett,zuckerberg,gates….take a wild guess which side of the political isle they are on??...and its not because of social issues..they believe one party will bail them out of difficult situations more easily.

[wizzywick]

Why do I vote Tory?

Because it's my choice and we live in a democracy! But, mainly because I am influenced by geographical location, the fact that I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help and because I dislike many Labour policies. That said, it isn't so much Labour policies I dislike, moreso Corbyn policies because I think he's detached from reality, knows he's highly unlikely ever to be elected so can just promise the earth and not have to deliver.

In honesty I think the Tories and Labour combined would make a terrific Government as they both have good policies but also both have terrible ones. But it's all subjective since the ones I think are crap others may think are great, and vice versa.

Where I live is a wealthy, true blue Tory town. Always has been except for when the LibDems took it for 12 years from 1993 (and I voted Libdem in 1997). So because the town is served well by the Tory council, and because most are well off (don't blame folk for being well off, it isn't their fault), I don't really know any different so I just vote Tory because it suits me, my community and in my opinion the country.

Absolutely it's your choice but that is a poor reason to do so, just because you can.

Can you explain how you think Corbyn is "detached from reality" and how he has "promised the Earth" please? I don't think fixing a broken railway system, or providing the youth of the country with a home (is this not part of the aspiration you've mentioned), or regulating the banks properly so they don't crash the economy and make the poorest pay for it, is promising the Earth. I think it's providing a society for all to flourish.

What Labour policies do you think prevent aspiration and what Tory ones aspire aspiration - can you point to some concrete examples? I'd say Labour introducing the Minimum Wage increased wealth and aspiration for all in society, especially the poorest.

Which Labour policies do you think are terrible and the same question for the Tories?

The minimum wage has severely dented productivity in this country. It's the lowest it's ever been and it has seen a huge increase in social welfare payments and squalid living conditions for migrants who are wrongly told by arseholes in their home country that the streets in Britain are paved with Gold. The minimum wage is both a blessing and a curse, but as I'm predominantly a retail man, worked within the industry on and off for 33 years, full time jobs are a thing of the past and firms willingly take on people to do 9 - 16 hours per week because they know the state will just top up their money with credits so the profits stay in the business and not go to paying staff.

The Tory policies surrounding Police numbers are disgusting. I no longer support the Tories on that. The NHS record? Well, it's politics. Labour will say that the Tories want to scrap it and can't look after it, but as Mrs. May rightly pointed out, over the last 70 years, the Tories have been in charge of the NHS for 43 of those 70 years. Labour just 27. So, I think it's high time both parties stopped using it as a political football.

Young people are not automatically entitled to a home. They have to work for it. Going to University then just expecting society to give you what you want is not what I regard as aspiration. Of course it is vital young people are helped and encouraged to get a home, both parties have different ideas as to how to achieve that. I prefer the Tory option. Why is the Railway in a bad state? Unions that's why. And if nationalised it'll get much much worse. You probably can't remember British rail when the Railways were under national control. It was only 1996 that they went private. Strike after strike after strike. terrible rolling stock, delays due to any reason you can imagine. It is also the first thing that gets its budget slashed in hard times because whilst we can't live without hospitals and doctors, firemen and police, we can make sacrifices with the railways.

Royal Mail has been performing more efficiently since it was privatised too.

I will never ever tell a Labour supporter that they are wrong to vote Labour. There are all sorts of reasons why they choose to. So, it's somewhat disingenuous to tell those that choose to vote Tory, that they're wrong. In their minds they are not. Corbyn will create a country fully dependent on the state. You think taxing the wealthy will be the answer to all the problems. It won't. It will create unemployment so the Government rely on your votes in return for benefits and a threat of "Tories taking your benefits away". Corbyn can promise anything he likes because he knows he'll never have to deliver it. He is a threat to the stability of the Western World, and would be the same as Trump but only in the opposite direction. He wouldn't solve all the problems, he'd create many new ones. If a moderate Labour leader was to come along, I'd have no fear of a Labour Government. No party is perfect. No party is wholly deserving of power. But I choose the party that I think will do a better job of running things. In your opinion the party I choose is not the best one. But in my mind it is.

[wizzywick]

Why do I vote Tory?

I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help

Unless of course you're extremely wealthy then the government will step in with tax payer money when you've screwed up to make sure you never have to face conseqquences.
Socialism for the wealthy capitalism for the rest of us?

This is the crux of the situation and what I try to understand from Tories. They never seem - hopefully Wizzy can prove me wrong - to be able to explain the policies that the Tories have that actually are good, their response just seems to be "well remember what Labour did, hmmm!!!!".

Both parties create problems depending on your viewpoint. One can not argue that Gove is probably the best environment secretary we have had for many years. His positivity and genuine life changing policies - for the good of the environment, are superb. This is one significant positive area that I think the Tories are exceeding at. It isn't all about cuts you know.

[MungoBrush]

Which Labour policies do you think are terrible and the same question for the Tories?

How about this one?
Jon Lansman's plan to crash the economy:

"A future Labour government should prepare for resistance from global corporations and could face a run on the pound, Momentum's founder says."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44582711

Confirming John McDonnell's plan to crash the economy:

"Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said Labour needs to scenario-plan for a run on the pound if they get into power."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politi ... e-re-ready

[Guest]

Tacit approval of anti-Semitism. Starter for ten.

[Gigabit]

Why do I vote Tory?

I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help

Unless of course you're extremely wealthy then the government will step in with tax payer money when you've screwed up to make sure you never have to face conseqquences.
Socialism for the wealthy capitalism for the rest of us?

This is the crux of the situation and what I try to understand from Tories. They never seem - hopefully Wizzy can prove me wrong - to be able to explain the policies that the Tories have that actually are good, their response just seems to be "well remember what Labour did, hmmm!!!!".

Both parties create problems depending on your viewpoint. One can not argue that Gove is probably the best environment secretary we have had for many years. His positivity and genuine life changing policies - for the good of the environment, are superb. This is one significant positive area that I think the Tories are exceeding at. It isn't all about cuts you know.

The UK has been in trouble again about the levels of air pollution, we're about to have a third runway built at Heathrow which will make it worse. The Government has refused to say the protections under EU law will be kept once we leave.

What exactly makes you think Gove is doing a good job? Give some examples of policies, improvements, etc. - I need something substantive rather than just "he is passionate".

[Gigabit]

Why do I vote Tory?

Because it's my choice and we live in a democracy! But, mainly because I am influenced by geographical location, the fact that I think people should aspire to make a success of themselves without needing Government help and because I dislike many Labour policies. That said, it isn't so much Labour policies I dislike, moreso Corbyn policies because I think he's detached from reality, knows he's highly unlikely ever to be elected so can just promise the earth and not have to deliver.

In honesty I think the Tories and Labour combined would make a terrific Government as they both have good policies but also both have terrible ones. But it's all subjective since the ones I think are crap others may think are great, and vice versa.

Where I live is a wealthy, true blue Tory town. Always has been except for when the LibDems took it for 12 years from 1993 (and I voted Libdem in 1997). So because the town is served well by the Tory council, and because most are well off (don't blame folk for being well off, it isn't their fault), I don't really know any different so I just vote Tory because it suits me, my community and in my opinion the country.

Absolutely it's your choice but that is a poor reason to do so, just because you can.

Can you explain how you think Corbyn is "detached from reality" and how he has "promised the Earth" please? I don't think fixing a broken railway system, or providing the youth of the country with a home (is this not part of the aspiration you've mentioned), or regulating the banks properly so they don't crash the economy and make the poorest pay for it, is promising the Earth. I think it's providing a society for all to flourish.

What Labour policies do you think prevent aspiration and what Tory ones aspire aspiration - can you point to some concrete examples? I'd say Labour introducing the Minimum Wage increased wealth and aspiration for all in society, especially the poorest.

Which Labour policies do you think are terrible and the same question for the Tories?

The minimum wage has severely dented productivity in this country. It's the lowest it's ever been and it has seen a huge increase in social welfare payments and squalid living conditions for migrants who are wrongly told by arseholes in their home country that the streets in Britain are paved with Gold. The minimum wage is both a blessing and a curse, but as I'm predominantly a retail man, worked within the industry on and off for 33 years, full time jobs are a thing of the past and firms willingly take on people to do 9 - 16 hours per week because they know the state will just top up their money with credits so the profits stay in the business and not go to paying staff.

The Tory policies surrounding Police numbers are disgusting. I no longer support the Tories on that. The NHS record? Well, it's politics. Labour will say that the Tories want to scrap it and can't look after it, but as Mrs. May rightly pointed out, over the last 70 years, the Tories have been in charge of the NHS for 43 of those 70 years. Labour just 27. So, I think it's high time both parties stopped using it as a political football.

Young people are not automatically entitled to a home. They have to work for it. Going to University then just expecting society to give you what you want is not what I regard as aspiration. Of course it is vital young people are helped and encouraged to get a home, both parties have different ideas as to how to achieve that. I prefer the Tory option. Why is the Railway in a bad state? Unions that's why. And if nationalised it'll get much much worse. You probably can't remember British rail when the Railways were under national control. It was only 1996 that they went private. Strike after strike after strike. terrible rolling stock, delays due to any reason you can imagine. It is also the first thing that gets its budget slashed in hard times because whilst we can't live without hospitals and doctors, firemen and police, we can make sacrifices with the railways.

Royal Mail has been performing more efficiently since it was privatised too.

I will never ever tell a Labour supporter that they are wrong to vote Labour. There are all sorts of reasons why they choose to. So, it's somewhat disingenuous to tell those that choose to vote Tory, that they're wrong. In their minds they are not. Corbyn will create a country fully dependent on the state. You think taxing the wealthy will be the answer to all the problems. It won't. It will create unemployment so the Government rely on your votes in return for benefits and a threat of "Tories taking your benefits away". Corbyn can promise anything he likes because he knows he'll never have to deliver it. He is a threat to the stability of the Western World, and would be the same as Trump but only in the opposite direction. He wouldn't solve all the problems, he'd create many new ones. If a moderate Labour leader was to come along, I'd have no fear of a Labour Government. No party is perfect. No party is wholly deserving of power. But I choose the party that I think will do a better job of running things. In your opinion the party I choose is not the best one. But in my mind it is.

Wow, here we go.

Do you have evidence that the minimum wage is the cause of low productivity? For example, our productivity has recently returned to the same level as it was in 2008, so it is not "the lowest it has ever been" - this is nto true. The reason it has been so poor is because of many things but many are in part to the disastrous austerity, whereas countries like Germany and the USA invested in their economies and have seen productivity and wages increases over the last many years. The UK is only one of two countries (Greece is the other), to have had falling wages since 2010. We have just had productivity return to where it was in 2008 as I said, so we've had no productivity growth in 10 years. See when austerity started and the impacts on productivity and wages. Austerity does not work, simple as that. But the truth is the Tories know that, austerity is about re-establishing neoliberalism with more privatisation and shrinking the size of the state. If you believe in those things then great but they are disingenuous to say the reason behind it is because of economics - of which there is literally nobody supporting their plans from the economic community.

I never said young people were entitled to a home. I said somebody working as hard today as they did twenty years ago does not have the same ability to buy a house. It has got harder - it should be getting easier, not harder. Tory policies started under Thatcher have increased house prices an insane amount and caused the majority of young people to rent - do you think they honestly do this out of choice? What is the Tory solution Wizzy, they haven't provided one! Corbyn proposed building more social housing, you know like we did until Thatcher came along and pushed up prices when she sold most of it off. Like they do in Europe where there isn't a housing crisis...

The railways now cost more than under public control, perform worse and the benefit is what? Richard Branson makes a profit and passengers suffer. Every railway in Europe is nationalised and performs better so please provide some stats to support your statement that nationalising them will make them worse. At the least they will stay the same and this will be good - Germany and France will stop taking a cut.

Is there evidence to support that Royal Mail has become more efficient? I know the Government undervalued it when they sold it and this has cost the taxpayer dearly. I also fail to see the point in privatisation. It is a natural monopoly just like the railways. Privatisation does not work.

Corbyn hasn't promised the Earth though. His policies are all used - every single one - successfully in Europe. In fact, most are used in Germany, a country we aspire to be like. When has he said he wouldn't be elected, he ran for PM last year...

You post an awful lot of empty statements, you need to make more substantive points than frankly what are attacks straight out of CCHQ.

[MungoBrush]

Corbyn hasn't promised the Earth though. His policies are all used - every single one - successfully in Europe. In fact, most are used in Germany, a country we aspire to be like. When has he said he wouldn't be elected, he ran for PM last year...

What about Corbyn's policy on Brexit?
The biggest issue facing the UK today
ABSTAIN
Do you think that's a good policy?

[MungoBrush]

Corbyn hasn't promised the Earth though. His policies are all used - every single one - successfully in Europe. In fact, most are used in Germany, a country we aspire to be like. When has he said he wouldn't be elected, he ran for PM last year...

What about Corbyn's policy to raid the road building budget to give away free bus passes to under-25's
Cost: £1.4 billion
Do you think that's a good policy?

[MungoBrush]

Corbyn hasn't promised the Earth though. His policies are all used - every single one - successfully in Europe. In fact, most are used in Germany, a country we aspire to be like. When has he said he wouldn't be elected, he ran for PM last year...

What about Corbyn's policy on Trident?
He wants to scrap it
Labour party says keep it
Do you back Corbyn or Labour on that policy?